High-Level Product Specification

General Exercises to Understand Concept

See the back of the book for sample answers to some of these questions.

1. Examples: Pick three products you use a lot and find a high level product description/brochure (not the technical
specifications) for each one. You may find it on the product section of the website of the company that makes
the product. If you find the technical specifications, compare that document with the high level product
description to observe the differences. For each product’s high level description, consider the following
questions:

Product 1: Product 2: Product 3:

What customer segment are

they targeting?

What is the primary benefit to

that group?

Is the primary benefit in

alignment with the features
and function?

What is unique about the

product? Is it clear from the
high level description?

What did you like about it?

What didn’t you like about it?

 2. Feature-Function-Benefit: A new mobile phone is launched which has advanced biometric finger print system
on it. Identify which of the following is the feature, the function and the benefit:
a. Better security for the phone allows important data and information to be stored with peace of mind,
which improves your productivity. This is a ________________________.
b. Patented active capacitance sensing technology. This is a _______________________.
c. Fingerprint recognition is integrated into the phone. This is a ______________________.

3. Apply to Examples: Now identify for the three products you chose in question 1 what their features, functions,
and benefits are:

Product 1: Product 2: Product 3:

Features:

Functions:

Benefits:

Worksheets
Visual Representation of Product
In the space below (and use more sheets if need be, but keep it to less than three sheets) build a visual representation of
your product and how it works. Annotate your drawings, but do not burden them with too much detail.
Product Alignment with Persona
How will you deliver a What features What functions What benefits
new level of value address this address this address this
with respect to this priority? priority? priority?
priority?

Persona’s #1 Priority:

Persona’s #2 Priority:

Persona’s #3 Priority:
Ready for Action?
a. Is the high-level product specification ready to review with your Persona? (circle one) Yes No

b. Have you done so? What feedback did the Persona provide?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

c. Have you iterated based on the Persona’s feedback at least once? What changes did you make as a response to the
Persona’s feedback? (Hopefully you will iterate with the Persona more than once.)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

d. Has the Persona concluded that the high-level product specification is interesting and satisfies the Persona’s
priorities?
(circle one) Yes No